On Monday night, I had the pleasure of witnessing the premiere of "Laramie Project: Ten Years Later." As the audience sat witnessing the confusion and apathy of rural citizens in Wyoming, I couldn't help but wonder how many of them knew at that very moment across town Jack Price was fighting for his life from a savage beating. Did the very audience making judgement on rural country folks have the outrage and anger that they expected from the wild west? My guess is some but most were totally unaware of what was taking place right in their own town.

Jack Price, 49, simply went out of his home in Queens, New York to buy cigarettes at a local market. Most likely he hoped to be back before his favorite television show came back on from a commercial break. When he stepped out of home into his neighborhood, the last thing on his mind that within minutes he would be fighting for his life simply because he was gay.

Unlike most other hate crimes where we get a name, a date, a brief description and a photograph of the face of the victim, this one was captured for all to see on video tape. One's heart stops as we witness the plummeting of this slim unassuming gay man. His only crime? He was gay. Can't help but wonder if New York will rise in outrage? Most likely not because as we have tragically learned, he is just another name on the rapidly increasing list of brutal beatings, killings and terrorizing of the LGBT community around the country.

You morally must watch this tape and know that this is not an isolated incident.

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Comments

This is absolutely disgusting! This is why we must stand for full equality under the law. For those who aren't out at work and to your families, YOU are only helping to set us back. We can only achieve equality when we all stand together and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

I was sitting in the same row with you just on the other side of Judith Light with Romaine Patterson who was featured in the play. Didn't you hear the woman get up at the end of the Q&A and talk about the beating? It was pretty memorable since she was the last person who spoke. Clearly some people had heard about it. I don't understand why you would omit that.

I wasn't in attendance so I can't comment on the audience but I will comment on a general attitude that exists in an isolated world such as NEW YORK and the communities where you are surrounded by like people with like comfortable interests.

The attitude in NYC and possibly in a theatre or activist or political community often looks DOWN at rural communities and the homophobic and racist events that take place in those areas. That is the impression I get from the article. It's like they believe they are in a better place or think they are better than others. I see David Mixners article as a way of saying they are no different than anyone else.

People in the assumed "safer" communities do fail to notice that these things DO happen in their own backyard. And they happen more often then you would like to believe.

I am black, my black relatives and friends are STILL critical of the south and my decision to live in the South. But the only racism I faced was in QUEENS NY, maybe 2 miles from the most recent incident.